There are seven vertebrae that are the bony building blocks of the spine in the neck (the cervical vertebrae) that surround the spinal cord and canal. Between these vertebrae are discs, and nearby pass the nerves of the neck. Within the neck, structures include the skin, neck muscles, arteries, veins, lymph nodes, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, esophagus, larynx, and trachea. Diseases or conditions that affect any of these tissues of the neck can lead to neck pain.
Chiropractic's origins lie in the folk medicine of bonesetting,[4] and as it evolved it incorporated vitalism, spiritual inspiration and rationalism.[30] Its early philosophy was based on deduction from irrefutable doctrine, which helped distinguish chiropractic from medicine, provided it with legal and political defenses against claims of practicing medicine without a license, and allowed chiropractors to establish themselves as an autonomous profession.[30] This "straight" philosophy, taught to generations of chiropractors, rejects the inferential reasoning of the scientific method,[30] and relies on deductions from vitalistic first principles rather than on the materialism of science.[31] However, most practitioners tend to incorporate scientific research into chiropractic,[30] and most practitioners are "mixers" who attempt to combine the materialistic reductionism of science with the metaphysics of their predecessors and with the holistic paradigm of wellness.[31] A 2008 commentary proposed that chiropractic actively divorce itself from the straight philosophy as part of a campaign to eliminate untestable dogma and engage in critical thinking and evidence-based research.[32]
My niece has some spine disorders, and I think that being able to visit a chiropractor would be helpful for her. I’m glad that you talked about chiropractors being able to have a knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and I think that being able to have this knowledge would help them with her spine disorders. I’m going to have to see if a chiropractor would be the best option, or if we could find a specialist for spine disorders! Thanks for the information!
No single profession "owns" spinal manipulation and there is little consensus as to which profession should administer SM, raising concerns by chiropractors that other medical physicians could "steal" SM procedures from chiropractors.[70] A focus on evidence-based SM research has also raised concerns that the resulting practice guidelines could limit the scope of chiropractic practice to treating backs and necks.[70] Two U.S. states (Washington and Arkansas) prohibit physical therapists from performing SM,[71] some states allow them to do it only if they have completed advanced training in SM, and some states allow only chiropractors to perform SM, or only chiropractors and physicians. Bills to further prohibit non-chiropractors from performing SM are regularly introduced into state legislatures and are opposed by physical therapist organizations.[72]
At Whole Family Chiropractors, we strive to serve everyone in our diverse community, helping people attain their individual health, wellness and fitness goals. Mueller chiropractors Dr. Michelle Paris, Dr. Merrick Fisher and Dr. Brian Gore offer a welcoming space in which you can discuss any topics that affect your physical and mental well-being without judgment, and get answers to your questions. Our array of services include:
Although mixers are the majority group, many of them retain belief in vertebral subluxation as shown in a 2003 survey of 1100 North American chiropractors, which found that 88% wanted to retain the term "vertebral subluxation complex", and that when asked to estimate the percent of disorders of internal organs (such as the heart, the lungs, or the stomach) that subluxation significantly contributes to, the mean response was 62%.[38] A 2008 survey of 6,000 American chiropractors demonstrated that most chiropractors seem to believe that a subluxation-based clinical approach may be of limited utility for addressing visceral disorders, and greatly favored non-subluxation-based clinical approaches for such conditions.[39] The same survey showed that most chiropractors generally believed that the majority of their clinical approach for addressing musculoskeletal/biomechanical disorders such as back pain was based on subluxation.[39] Chiropractors often offer conventional therapies such as physical therapy and lifestyle counseling, and it may for the lay person be difficult to distinguish the unscientific from the scientific.[40]
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
“When your neck muscles become weak and you try to turn your head, the joint no longer moves smoothly because it’s now out of place,” Dr. Bang says. “Often the joint catches on something, either pulling a muscle or hitting the nerve irregularly, or maybe both. Then you’ll have instant pain and your body has a protective spasm. Your body doesn’t want you to get hurt more, so it will clench, causing you to feel like you can’t even move — and leaving you wondering what you did to injure yourself.”
One of the most common causes of neck pain is a pillow that is too large or too flat. Make sure that the pillow you use adequately supports your neck without causing any excessive bending. In other words, if lying on your back, your neck should not be bent unduly upwards. lf lying on your side, your neck should not be bent up or down (i.e. your spine should be in a straight line). Sleeping on your stomach with your neck twisted or bent to the side can also result in neck pain.

There are several different surgical procedures which can be utilized, the choice of which is influenced by the severity of each case. In a small percentage of patients, spinal instability may require that spinal fusion be performed, a decision that is generally determined prior to surgery. Spinal fusion is an operation that creates a solid union between two or more vertebrae. Various devices (like screws or plates) may be used to enhance fusion and support unstable areas of the cervical spine. This procedure may assist in strengthening and stabilizing the spine and may thereby help to alleviate severe and chronic neck pain.

Dr. Michael Morris graduated from Malta High School in 1997profess_pic.jpg, then attended Carroll College and had the honor of being part of the Saints football team. In 2002 he obtained his Bachelors of Arts Degree from Carroll and was accepted to Chiropractic College at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN. In August of 2007, he graduated with his Chiropractic Degree and relocated back to Helena to work at Town Center Chiropractic. Both he and his wife are Montana natives and together they have 4 children. We look forward to helping you realize the benefits of chiropractic care.

One of the most common questions that people ask is around the safety of chiropractic care. So, how safe is it? According to the American Chiropractic Association, “Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest drug-free, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of back pain, neck pain, joint pain of the arms or legs, headaches, and other neuromusculoskeletal complaints.” While chiropractic is considered a safe complementary therapy, there can be some potential side effects, like soreness following a spinal manipulation.

Dr. Jeffrey Fife is also a Helena native. He graduated from Montana State University in 1989 with a degree in Chemical Engineerin8912__4x_color.jpgg and practiced for 15 years. He returned to school and received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Logan College of Chiropractic in Saint Louis Missouri in December 2007. He practiced independently in Helena from 2008 to 2011 before joining Town Center Chiropractic. He and his wife have 2 daughters and reside in Helena. In addition to traditional chiropractic, Dr. Fife specializes in the Active Release Technique and is a certified Impairment Evaluator in Montana.

A 2008 commentary proposed that the chiropractic profession actively regulate itself to combat abuse, fraud, and quackery, which are more prevalent in chiropractic than in other health care professions, violating the social contract between patients and physicians.[32] According to a 2015 Gallup poll of U.S. adults, the perception of chiropractors is generally favourable; two-thirds of American adults agree that chiropractors have their patient's best interest in mind and more than half also agree that most chiropractors are trustworthy. Less than 10% of US adults disagreed with the statement that chiropractors were trustworthy.[193][194]

Chiropractors often argue that this education is as good as or better than medical physicians', but most chiropractic training is confined to classrooms with much time spent learning theory, adjustment, and marketing.[65] The fourth year of chiropractic education persistently showed the highest stress levels.[188] Every student, irrespective of year, experienced different ranges of stress when studying.[188] The chiropractic leaders and colleges have had internal struggles.[189] Rather than cooperation, there has been infighting between different factions.[189] A number of actions were posturing due to the confidential nature of the chiropractic colleges in an attempt to enroll students.[189][clarification needed]

Mainstream health care and governmental organizations such as the World Health Organization consider chiropractic to be complementary and alternative medicine (CAM);[1] and a 2008 study reported that 31% of surveyed chiropractors categorized chiropractic as CAM, 27% as integrated medicine, and 12% as mainstream medicine.[56] Many chiropractors believe they are primary care providers,[4][21] including US[57] and UK chiropractors,[58] but the length, breadth, and depth of chiropractic clinical training do not support the requirements to be considered primary care providers,[2] so their role on primary care is limited and disputed.[2][21]

There are several surgical treatments available to treat cervical spine disorders. Factors that help determine the type of surgical treatment include the specifics of the disc disease and the presence or absence of pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots. Other factors include age, how long the patient has had the disorder, other medical conditions and if there has been previous cervical spine surgery.

Dr. Daniel Lee Grotzinger was born in St. Marys, PA on July 7, 1948. He grew up with a deep interest in music and aviation. In his senior year he applied to both the Air Force Academy and for a Pitt university music scholarship. Neither came through. A semester was spent at St. Vincent college in Latrobe, PA studying for the Catholic priesthood before deciding to enlist in the USAF during the Viet-Nam war. He specialized in the radar systems for the B-58 and B-52. After four years of service he was discharged with spinal injuries. Several years of severe back pain with sciatica, with no relief from the usual medical methods lead to Dan trying chiropractic upon the advise of a church friend. In three visits the severe bilateral sciatic pain was resolved. Again, he applied to music school but found there was a long waiting list. Because of the tremendous help chiropractic had given him he began to think there must be a lot of others who have gone through what he did and could use the same kind of help. After several prayer sessions he received a very clear witness that this should be his life calling.
Chiropractors, especially in America, have a reputation for unnecessarily treating patients.[6] In many circumstances the focus seems to be put on economics instead of health care.[6] Sustained chiropractic care is promoted as a preventative tool, but unnecessary manipulation could possibly present a risk to patients.[4] Some chiropractors are concerned by the routine unjustified claims chiropractors have made.[4] A 2010 analysis of chiropractic websites found the majority of chiropractors and their associations made claims of effectiveness not supported by scientific evidence, while 28% of chiropractor websites advocate lower back pain care, which has some sound evidence.[197]

There is no good evidence that chiropractic is effective for the treatment of any medical condition, except perhaps for certain kinds of back pain.[4][10] Generally, the research carried out into the effectiveness of chiropractic has been of poor quality.[89][90] Numerous controlled clinical studies of treatments used by chiropractors have been conducted, with conflicting results.[4] Research published by chiropractors is distinctly biased.[4] For reviews of SM for back pain chiropractic authors tend to have positive conclusions, while others did not show any effectiveness.[4]

Some of the findings from my tests were things that I could fix at home, and others could be helped with hands-on chiropractic care, like an adjustment. In my case, I didn’t have a normal c-shaped curve in my neck. This can be caused by minor whiplash, sports injuries or even sitting forward all day (I spend a lot of time at work staring at a screen). The chiropractor recommended at-home care in the way of a rolled up towel or ergonomic pillow. These can help restore the curve in your neck.